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| Health union gives strike warning | Health union gives strike warning |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Britain's largest union has warned that tens of thousands of health workers will strike unless the government makes an improved pay offer. | Britain's largest union has warned that tens of thousands of health workers will strike unless the government makes an improved pay offer. |
| Unison national officer Karen Jennings outlined this stance before the start of its health workers conference. | Unison national officer Karen Jennings outlined this stance before the start of its health workers conference. |
| "I think a strike is certain if we can't get the government to come back to the table and talk", she said. | "I think a strike is certain if we can't get the government to come back to the table and talk", she said. |
| The Brighton conference is set to hear calls for ministers to stop giving health contracts to private firms. | The Brighton conference is set to hear calls for ministers to stop giving health contracts to private firms. |
| BBC labour affairs correspondent Stephen Cape says there is much anger over Chancellor Gordon Brown's decision to offer many public sector workers a below inflation pay rise in two stages. | BBC labour affairs correspondent Stephen Cape says there is much anger over Chancellor Gordon Brown's decision to offer many public sector workers a below inflation pay rise in two stages. |
| There are up to six motions on pay at the conference, with some calling for specific strike dates. | There are up to six motions on pay at the conference, with some calling for specific strike dates. |
| The 70s may look cool on TV but under the Tories the NHS suffered from appalling under-investment. Karen Jennings, Unison | The 70s may look cool on TV but under the Tories the NHS suffered from appalling under-investment. Karen Jennings, Unison |
| Unison's health care executive has agreed to back an emergency motion calling for urgent talks with the chancellor. | Unison's health care executive has agreed to back an emergency motion calling for urgent talks with the chancellor. |
| Ms Jennings told BBC News: "We need to see them [ministers] to be more generous in spirit as well as practically in terms of people pay." | |
| She added that those she represented were very disappointed with the government's pay offer. | She added that those she represented were very disappointed with the government's pay offer. |
| "Our members are extremely angry and this is going to be very, very clear from conference when we leave it - what course of action we'll be taking and this will be on the back of a range of other health organisations who are also very, very angry." | "Our members are extremely angry and this is going to be very, very clear from conference when we leave it - what course of action we'll be taking and this will be on the back of a range of other health organisations who are also very, very angry." |
| More than 1,000 delegates are set to vote on a motion expressing outrage that a Labour government continues to privatise NHS services and staff. | More than 1,000 delegates are set to vote on a motion expressing outrage that a Labour government continues to privatise NHS services and staff. |
| The government said its goal was simply to provide the best possible service. | The government said its goal was simply to provide the best possible service. |
| Ms Jennings warned ministers they faced losing the support of health workers unless policies were changed. | Ms Jennings warned ministers they faced losing the support of health workers unless policies were changed. |
| Our goal is simple - the best possible health service, tax-funded, free at the point of need Department of Health | Our goal is simple - the best possible health service, tax-funded, free at the point of need Department of Health |
| Referring to the success of the BBC's Life on Mars drama, set in the 70s, she went on: "The 70s may look cool on TV but under the Tories the NHS suffered from appalling under-investment and contracting out of cleaning, catering and services to the lowest bidder." | Referring to the success of the BBC's Life on Mars drama, set in the 70s, she went on: "The 70s may look cool on TV but under the Tories the NHS suffered from appalling under-investment and contracting out of cleaning, catering and services to the lowest bidder." |
| She said that in the 70s it would have been considered "crazy" to send patients' notes to India to have them typed. | She said that in the 70s it would have been considered "crazy" to send patients' notes to India to have them typed. |
| But now, she said, private companies were targeting hospitals with deficits and offering free trials and promising big cash savings if they outsourced their medical typing to countries overseas. | But now, she said, private companies were targeting hospitals with deficits and offering free trials and promising big cash savings if they outsourced their medical typing to countries overseas. |
| A Department of Health spokeswoman denied that private companies were creaming off huge profits at the expense of patients. | A Department of Health spokeswoman denied that private companies were creaming off huge profits at the expense of patients. |
| She said: "Where private organisations can help the NHS deliver better services for patients and better value for taxpayers we will use them. If they can't, we won't. | She said: "Where private organisations can help the NHS deliver better services for patients and better value for taxpayers we will use them. If they can't, we won't. |
| "Our goal is simple - the best possible health service, tax-funded, free at the point of need." | "Our goal is simple - the best possible health service, tax-funded, free at the point of need." |
| She added that more than 250,000 people had received treatment faster than they would otherwise have done thanks to the independent sector. | She added that more than 250,000 people had received treatment faster than they would otherwise have done thanks to the independent sector. |